Terms and Conditions

DEFINITIONS

Conditions: means these terms and conditions of entry for the event. 

Registration Form: means the website registration form which requires detail to be provided for participation in an event or manual form filled out at the event in special circumstances. 

Event Organiser: means Kokoda Youth Foundation; a registered not for profit organisation ABN: 39 367 906 920. 

Registration Fee: means the cost of team entry into the event set out in the entry form. 

Participant: means the person/persons who will be participating in the named event on the entry form. 

KYF: means Kokoda Youth Foundation. 

KCYP: means Kokoda Challenge Youth Program. 

Team: means each and all individual members of said team 

Agent: means officials, employees, volunteers, affiliations, sponsors and medical staff who are involved in managing/staging/operating of the event and associated events/activities. 

Fundraising: all money which has been raised and donated towards the Kokoda Youth Foundation as part of event entry. 

Withdraw: means to be removed from the event at any point. This can occur before or during the event. 

Donor: refers to the person or organisation that has donated to a team or individual. 

PARTICIPANT DECLARATION

The participant acknowledges that participation in the event is a physically strenuous activity. It is acknowledged that participation in the event is physically demanding and is aware of the nature of the event and associated medical and physical risk involved. The participant is physically capable of competing in the event and agree that the KYF and its agents are not responsible for any injury or illness that they may suffer as a result of participation in the event. 

The team agrees to abide by the KYF rules and regulations. The participant shall not be entitled to a refund of their registration fees and donations if they are disqualified from the event as a result of an infringement of these conditions. Such event rules including limits on the time taken to complete the event that may be initiated by the Event Organiser at its discretion to ensure the safe and proper running of the event. 

The participant agrees to complete the online competitor waiver before competing in the event. Completing the online waiver is the participants responsibility. 

The participant must register their team as directed by the Event Organiser. It is the participants responsibility to provide their own first aid supplies throughout the event as well as providing their own hygiene kit including: 

• Spade 
• Environmentally friendly toilet paper 
• Hand sanitizer 

While the Event Organiser takes every care with the staging of the event the participant acknowledges that personal accident and personal items insurance is their responsibility. 

All team members need to meet the minimum age requirement per distance. 

All team members agree to have signed a waiver form to be submitted during the online registration process as directed by the Event Organiser, Failure to do so could result in team cancellation.

All teams must reach their minimum fundraising amount prior to the event date to participate.  

Ensuring that your T-shirt size is submitted online by the correct date (failure to submit T-shirt size will result in the team member receiving a generic size if available on the day). 

The team leader is agreeing on behalf of all members in the team to abide by these terms and conditions of entry, as well as ensuring that the minimum fundraising is met by the due date. All funds raised under the name of Kokoda Youth Foundation, it's events and youth programs must be donated to the KYF by the final fundraising submission date. 

The team shall not be eligible to compete in the event until the minimum fundraising has been received by due date. No payment shall be deemed to have been received until the Event Organiser has received cleared funds. 

All participants understand and agree to the team and individual registration fees and fundraising being non-refundable and non-transferrable. 

MINIMUM AGE REQUIREMENTS

Kokoda Challenge Events have recommendations for minimum age requirements for each event type.? This is a recommendation and it is up to the individual including the parent/guardian to agree to participation if not within the boundaries of recommendations. 

The decision to participate is up to the individual’s fitness (appropriate physical training is required) and by doctors recommendation.

MINIMUM AGE RECOMMENDATIONS

For all events – Participants under the 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult (18 or over) in a team. This should also include a sign Waiver form by a parent or guardian.

TEAM LIMITS

Each team must start with the registered number of team members. 

For 96km & 48km events if the team have had withdrawals and down to the remaining two, they must accompany another team throughout the remainder of the event. This is to ensure that all walkers travel in groups of at least three people. Teams do not have to ‘join’ another team. Each team retain their identity and number through the remainder of the event. 

For 30km & 18km events teams can travel as a minimum of 2 persons due to the distance of the course. 

SCHOOL TEAM LIMITS

School teams must start with 4 students and a nominated team leader. 
If teams start one student down due to medical or unforeseen reasons, they will not be eligible to win the school cup.  

All School teams must have an 18+ BlueCard supervisor with them always. Kokoda Youth Foundation have a firm approach to child safety and wellbeing these rules should be followed in strict accordance. 

If the 18+ BlueCard supervisor is needing to withdraw from the event the students remaining only have two options: 

1. Either the rest of the team withdraws from event 

1. A BlueCard parent or BlueCard representative from the same school takes the place of the withdrawn 18+ supervisor. 

School teams only may elect to receive an invoice and pay full team registration within one month of the event date. 

EVENT START & TEAM REGISTRATION AND TEAM CHANGES

Every team must start the event with all registered team members to be in the running to win the event.  

If a team member is sick or if you are starting one member down for any reason, you must notify info@kokodachallenge.com prior to the event. 

• Pinnacle: team of 4 
• 96km: team of 4 
• 48km: team of 3 or 4 (as per the category the team has registered in) 
• 18km or 30km: team of 2, 3 or 4 (as per the category the team has registered in) 
• School Teams: must starts with four team (4) members and an adult (1) team leader 

Change of mid team changes are permitted until 4 weeks prior to the event. Any team changes after this date must be approved by the Kokoda Challenge event team. Changes made within 4 weeks of the event will result in names being incorrect on bibs as well as timing results.  

To be eligible for a category placing in the event results, teams must start and finish the event with the correct number of entrants as per the category chosen at registration. 

It is the teams’ responsibility to ensure their team is registered in the correct event category before the event registration closing date as deemed by the Kokoda Challenge Events. If any changes happen within 4 weeks of the event, teams must notify the Kokoda Challenge Events team of the via email at info@kokodachallenge.com 

Team member withdrawals at pre-registration does not automatically result in a change of category (e.g. from 4-person team to 3-person team). If you want to change your event category as well as team size, this request must be made prior to the event via email to info@kokodachallenge.com.  

Before the designated registration close off date, team captains can log into their dashboard and change individual team members themselves.?This is permitted until 4 weeks prior to the event date. After this time, all team changes must be emailed through to info@kokodachallenge.com to approve.  

Teams cannot swap out team members during the event unless approved by checkpoint captains. All other team member swaps are not permitted during the event at any time, Any team found to be substituting team members during the event will be disqualified. 

Teams are permitted to increase their team size or event category prior to the event. If teams are increasing their distance or team size, the team captain will be invoiced for the price difference. If a decrease in team size or distance is requested, the price difference remains non-refundable and will instead be transferred into a donation. This donation will be added to your teams fundraising amount. This is permitted to occur up to 4 weeks prior to the event. 

School teams are allowed one major re-shuffle prior to the event. School teams are not permitted to request various team changes due to change of mind.  

You can request a location change if your commitments change at any time. If the location change is requested within 4 weeks of the event, and admin fee of $50 per team will apply.   

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY

The following guidelines are stipulated for teams to safely complete Kokoda Challenge Events: 

• Every team in the 96 and 48 km events should have a support crew. The support crew is responsible for providing teams with food, water, first aid and change of clothes etc. during the event. It is unrealistic to carry all supplies yourself. 
• Support Crews are NOT permitted for the 18km and 30km events 
• All participants are only able to access support crew at the specified support crew checkpoints. 
• Once registered, please make sure your support team reads the support crew handbook on the website. A support crew briefing video will be released one to two weeks prior to the event. We request that all support crews watch this video. Any support crews with questions are encouraged to email info@kokodachallenge.com prior to the event or talk to our team at the start line after the event has commenced.  

• Teams are responsible for the behaviour of their support crew. Any support team or participant found to be contravening any CP landowner’s regulations or event organisers’ directions may lead to the team’s disqualification from the event. 
• Safety/Course update will have made available for all events prior to the relevant event. Please check your emails and socials regularly for important communications.  
• Start times for each Kokoda Challenge will be advertised and communicated. 
• Competitor's must abide by the no parking and no training guidelines. Teams must not train on private property at any time or park in a ‘no parking’ zone.  
• Participants are always to remain on the marked course. Do not go off the marked trail and do not trespass on neighbouring properties. If you find yourself off course, return to the last known point of the course and follow the course marking. We advise all competitors to download the All Trails maps prior to the event to help them stay on track.  

• Do not shortcut or alter the course in any way. This will be monitored and recorded in our timing results.  
• When crossing creeks, participants must stay within the course marking. Only enter and exit in the designated area. 
• Please give way to teams walking at a faster pace. If you are planning on running the event, please start in the first even wave. 
• All participants must download the Emergency app before the event.  
• Prescription medication and pain killers will be your own responsibility. These are not issued by Checkpoint Staff or First Aid Officers. 

• All team members must stay together during the event and must check in and check out together at each Checkpoint. Checkpoint staff will not allow teams to continue until all members are accounted for. 
• Team members must be no further than 100m from each other always while on the event course. All team members must stay within eyesight of each other during the event.  
• Under no circumstances are individuals to be left unattended. If a team member becomes seriously injured and cannot be moved, one person must stay with them while others seek help. If coordinates are needed for extraction, team members can use the emergency app.  
• If you want to withdraw during the event you must report this at the checkpoint, if possible. Teams cannot continue until the member has officially withdrawn. If for any reason you leave the event without communication to staff, please call the emergency number to communicate that you are not on the course. Failure to do so can trigger and emergency response and use resources that may be required for real emergency responses. 
• A team’s finishing time will reflect the time of the last team member that crossed the finish line.  

• Race bibs as supplied by the Kokoda Challenge Events must be worn horizontal, on a participant’s shirt during the event. Bibs must be visible when passing through checkpoints.  
• Emergency numbers are listed on the back of the race bibs in needed. These numbers are only to be used if an emergency extraction is needed or in the case of an emergency. 
• Leave no trace of your travel along the event course. Please respect the environment and leave all flora and fauna as you found it as well as carrying out all your rubbish. Please respect other members of the public you may encounter on the course as the event does not have exclusive use of any area. 
• Participants found knowingly littering or vandalising any section of the course will be disqualified from the event. 
• Use toilets if available. Away from toilets, take care with sanitation and hygiene and don't pollute natural water supplies. Ensure all faecal matter and toilet paper is properly buried (15cm deep) well away from tracks, camp sites and 100 m from all watercourses and drainage channels (carry a small trowel for this purpose). Bag and carry out disposable nappies and sanitary products. 

• If, in the opinion of medical personnel, a team member is unable to continue for medical reasons, then the Kokoda Challenge reserves the right to withdraw that member from the event. 
• Teams will be disqualified if they receive assistance from their support crew at any other time or location during the event. Exceptions will only be allowed with prior approval from Kokoda Challenge Events and only for extraction or medical emergency. 
• When walking on a road, teams must walk in single file.  
• Teams must obey the road rules always and follow all directions given by road crossing personnel and event officials. 
• Participants must keep noise levels to a minimum when walking in residential areas during training and the event. If teams are using a speaker to play music during the event, the volume must be at a respectable level.  
• All fundraising activities undertaken by participants must adhere to the relevant state government regulations. 
• When on Army Land (Department of Defence Land) all participants must stay on the event route always and not detour off the course unless directed by Defence Base Personnel or Event Officials. 
• The event has nominated Checkpoint closing times. If a team has not reached the checkpoint by these specified times the team will be withdrawn from the event. The closing times are calculated on the basis that there would be insufficient time to complete the event within the specified event hours. 

COMPULSORY EQUIPMENT

The Kokoda Challenge are endurance events and do require that participants are well equipped will compulsory equipment. 

Event specific compulsory gear lists can be found in the competitor handbooks. Please refer to these for a detailed list of compulsory gear.  

The 96km and 48km requires more/different equipment then that of the 18km and 30km distances.  

• High visibility vest with reflective tape as the outermost layer of clothing between dusk and dawn always.  
• A water proof jacket or poncho with hood is required. 
• The ability to carry a minimum of 1 litre of water in bottles or hydration bladder. 
• ALL COMPETITORS in all events must carry a head torch with spare batteries. 
• Race bibs received at pre-registration are to be worn on the outside of attire to be visually seen by Checkpoints. 
• Pealess Whistle. Whistles are required in case of an emergency.  
• A minimum of two mobile phones in waterproof bags. 
• Charging pack for phones. 
• Any specific medical items for the team members (eg. inhaler). 
• All distances are requested to carry head torches in case they walk into the evening.  
• A first aid kit suitable for the event and team size. Suggested items include but are not limited to; space bag or blanket, snake bite bandage, triangle bandage, wound dressings, crepe bandage and wound closure strips. 

It is the participants responsibility to ensure they are well equipped with compulsory equipment, as well as a personal hygiene kit. This includes spade, environmentally friendly toilet paper & sanitizer 

WITHDRAWALS, CANCELLATIONS AND ALTERATIONS

Refund policy: All registration fees and fundraising amounts are non-refundable. All refund and change requests are addressed in a case-by-case basis by our event organisers. Once a decision has been made regarding your request, the outcome is final. Due to the nature of the event's industry, we are unable to offer a refund if you are sick or injured and cannot attend the event.

Cancellations: If a full team (or individual) cancellation is required, the team (or individual) forfeits their registration fee and any funds raised towards the KYF. Registrations can be changed into a donation upon request.

COVID-19: The KYF will follow all advice regarding COVID-19 as directed by Queensland Health. At this time (03/11/2022), COVID-19 will be treated like any other sickness or injury that would prevent a competitor from competing in the Kokoda Challenge.  

Withdrawals: If a team member withdraws from a team prior to the event, the KYF must be notified via email with information of the withdrawing team member and the replacing member. If the team member change is after the T-shirt sizing due date, the Event Organiser will only provide what is available and the new team member also needing to sign a waiver form. 

Notice of team withdrawal from the event must be notified via email with information of the withdrawing team member and the replacing member. If the team member change is after the T-shirt sizing due date, the Event Organiser will only provide what is available and the new team member also needing to sign a waiver form. 

Notice of team withdrawal from the event must be communicated in writing via email to the Event Organiser. Withdrawals will not be accepted by telephone.  

If a team member is withdrawn on the morning of the event, the event team at the registration hall must be notified. 

Team alterations (location, team size, distance, year): If your team size decreases, the difference in registration costs remains non-refundable. Your fundraising amount will be updated to reflect your new team size. 

Due to the nature of our events, teams do not have the option to transfer their registration to the next year if injured or sick on the day of the event. 
Teams can change their event location free of charge until 4 weeks prior to the event. If a location change is requested after this time, this will incur a $50 incidentals and admin fee per team. A $20 admin fee may occur in other team alteration situations up to the discretion of the KYF team such as increasing team size or multiple amendments. 

Team’s members can be altered via the online portal up to 4 weeks prior to the event. Any team changes after this time must be approved by the event team. Please email info@kokodachallenge.com to address.  

Registration payments: The Kokoda Challenge only accepts team registrations. Team registration costs are paid for during the time of registration by the team captain OR invoiced at a later date if requested. Individuals cannot register for the event. As individual registration fees do not exist in our systems, individuals cannot request a refund for their portion of the registration costs. 

School teams can either pay for the registration via the online system or use a promocode to be invoiced at a late date. If schools are invoiced, registration fees MUST be paid within one month of the event. Teams will be removed from the event if invoices are not paid within this time.   

Withdrawal by the KYF team: Teams may be withdrawn prior to or during the event at the event organisers discretion. This could be due to reasons such as; not meeting the minimum fundraising, injury, breach of event rules & regulations, and in such circumstances the team will not be offered a refund of their registration fee. 

Abuse of any time will not be tolerated. If a member of your team mistreats a member of the Kokoda Challenge staff, volunteers, agents or another competitor, your team will be removed from the event with registration fees and fundraising amounts remaining non-refundable.  

Event cancellation: The Event Organiser reserves the right to amend and or cancel the event in consultation with and under the direction of Emergency Service agencies and major event stakeholders/landowners; however KYF will only exercise these rights due to circumstances beyond its control (e.g. weather conditions), with all teams being notified as soon as possible. In the event of bad weather KYF will make all attempts to reschedule the event to an alternative date giving enough notice for participation. If the event is cancelled or you are unable to participate on the rescheduled date participating teams have the option of requesting a refund of their registration fee or transferring to another event.

INSURANCE

The organisers of the Event, Kokoda Youth Foundation, have public liability insurance cover. This does not include personal accident insurance for participants.? We recommend that you arrange your own personal accident insurance and ambulance cover before participating in the Event to cover any unforeseen personal costs you may incur due to ambulance transport, medical expenses or time off work due to injuries sustained whilst participating or training. 

PUBLICITY & RESULTS

The participant irrevocably consents to their appearance in the Event being filmed, recorded and incorporated in whole or in part in any television programme, film, video or broadcast of whatever nature by all means and, in all media, and formats now or invented after the date of these conditions.

The participant irrevocably consents to the use and reproduction of the participants name, likeness, appearance and photographs, films and recordings by all means and in all media for the purpose of advertising, publicity and otherwise in relation to the exploitation of the Event and/or the portion of the event and the commercial rights relating to the Event provided that such use does not imply direct endorsement by the participant of any official sponsor or suppliers of the event.

If you do not want to be photographed during the event, please provide this request in writing to info@kokodachallenge.com prior to the event.

The Event Organiser reserves the right to vary these conditions by giving notice to the participant in writing in any official Event material or correspondence prior to the Event.

The Event Organiser will do their upmost to provide an event finish time for the participant online within 48 hrs of the event completion; however, they cannot be held responsible for any computer result anomalies.

All decisions and rulings by the Event Organiser, its employees and its agents are considered final.

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

Depending on your assessment of the situation, in the event of an injury or emergency, the following procedures are recommended: 

• Emergency contact number is located on the back of participant bibs. 
• Contact Command Centre on the emergency phone number located on the back of your race bib and inform them of the situation. This will be a dedicated phone for EMERGENCIES ONLY. Depending on the situation make your way to the nearest checkpoint, which will have first aid and communication available. 
• Ring 000 and when asked your name also state “we are participating in The Kokoda Challenge”. 
• Ring 112 and treat the same as a 000 call. Follow instructions from Emergency Services and/or race officials. Administer first aid treatment if required and continue until assistance arrives. Provide responders with your coordinates. These can be found using the emergency app. 
• If you become LOST: stop, gather the team and attempt to establish your position from the last known location. Check your All Trails map and see if you are on track. Track marking tapes are located approximately 100 m apart. Once you are sure you've found the correct path, continue. Do not make the situation worse by continuing to travel if you are still unsure of your position. If required, call the emergency phone number and speak with race officials.
• Bush Fire. Phone the event emergency number if you are between checkpoints and believe you are in danger, to advise or gather information. Follow event officials' instructions and remain at a CP if advised to do so by officials. If trapped, call emergency services on 000 or 112 from a mobile. Find a safe position in water, away from trees (in clear ground), in low ground or dig a trench. 

MINIMUM FUNDRAISING

All events have a minimum fundraising requirement that must be met prior to event pack collection. If not met prior to this, teams will be required to pay this minimum in order to participate.